Improvement in bag-fastener and tag-holder



D. 1VIcK`E.l\IZI]I, Jr. Bag-Pagtoner and Tag-Holder.

No; 209,281. .Patented Oct. 22', 181,8.

NPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRMHER, WASHNGTON, D. C.

lUNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

DAVID MOKENZIE, J R., OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANI) ALEXANDER MOKENZIE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAG-FASTENER AND TAG-HOLDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,281, dated October 2 2, 1878; application iiled May 13, 1878.

of Washington, in the county of Washington,

and in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag- .Y

Fastener and Tag-Holder; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower' side of my device before application to a letter-bag. Fig. 2 is a like view of the opposite side of the same, the cord being removed; and Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of said device, the full lines showing the position of parts when locked, and the dotted lines their position when unlocked.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

In the use of bags containing mail-matter of the second and third classes it has heretofore been customary to secure the mouth of the bag by means of a cord passed around the gathered end and tied, while for the purpose of indieating the destination of such bag a wooden label has been attached to said confining-cord, which label has been returned to the office from which it was sent before being again used. The inconvenience of this method of securing the bags is great, while a large expense is involved by the time required for fastening and labeling each bag, the waste of cord, (which is almost invariably cutinstead of being untied,) and in the cost an dtransportation as deadweight of the labels whilebei'ng returned to the sending-oiiices, all of which it is the design of my invention to obviate; to which end said invention consists in the means employed for securing the confining-cord after the same has been passed around the mouth of a bag,

substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a fiat rectangular piece of metal, upon one side of which, at one end, is provided two lugs or ears, c, between which is pivoted one end of a lever, B, that has the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and has such length as to cause its opposite end to extend nearly to the end of said plate opposite to said lugs.

Upon the lower side of the pivotal end of the lever B is provided a V-shaped radial projection, b, which extends nearly to the plate A, so thatif said lever is raised to the position shown by the .dotted lines of Fig. 3, and a cord, C, placed between said lever and plate,

and said `lever again returned to its normal position, said projection b will impinge upon said cord and closely confine the same between its end and said plate, as seen by the full lines of said Fig. 3. If, now, the cord C is passed one or more times around the gathered end of a bag, and its ends drawn tightly through the space between the lugs a, and the lever B then closed downward, so as to cause the projection b to engage with said ends, the latter will be so closely conned as to prevent the removal of said cord or the accidental opening of said bag.

In order that the cord C may be prevented from becoming detached from thefastening device, its ends are united, and a lug, a', is se cured to the end of the plate A, and projects upward to or near the end of the lever B, suflioient space being left between each side'of said lug a' and the contiguous lug c, to contain one part of said cord.4

Should the rigidity of the plate A and pro jection b injure the cord C, said plate may be recessed immediately below said projection, and in such recess may be placed a rubber pad, which will yield. sufcient-ly to prevent an injurious pressure upon said cord.

In order that the destination of each bag maybe easily affixed, the central portion of the plate A is removed, so as to form an oblong opening, a, and Vupon its upperside said plate is recessed around the edge of such opening, so as to enable a card, D, to be placed therein, and printed matter contained upon the lower side of said card to be distinctly seen from below through said opening.

The card D should have a thickness substantially equal to the depth of the recess a', vso that its upper surface will be iiush with the upper face ofthe plate A, when its front end, which is beneath the projection b, will be securely held-in lplace bythe cord C, while its rear end will. receive the pressure of the outer end of the lever B, and thus be prevented from moving.

The cards or labels D are made from heavy `paper or card-board,.with the ,words written or printed upon their faces, and being comparatively inexpensive, no reason vwill exist for preserving them after the bag has reached its destination. v

By means of this device the operations of closing, securing, and labeling a bag will be easily and quickly performed, and when the l bags have reached their destination they can be as readily and quickly opened without injury to the cord, as has heretofore been possible when the cord was cut. Upon raising the locking-lever the label or tag will fall out and lueave the frame in condition to receive a new DAVID MCKENZIE, JR.

Witnesses:

JAS. S. HUTGHINsoN, SAM. L. MATTINGLY. 

